


Ethereal

by Cat_Uni_creating



Category: Call Me Emperor (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flirting, Grief/Mourning, Love at First Sight, One Shot, Pining, Romantic Fluff, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26634739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Uni_creating/pseuds/Cat_Uni_creating
Summary: Li Bai and Yang Guifei find each other at Huaqing Hot Springs.
Relationships: Li Bai/Yang Guifei
Kudos: 9





	Ethereal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Habanero Dinata](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Habanero+Dinata).



_Rank, fame, and fortune are all for naught._

Li Bai has lived and see them all, only to reach a conclusion that doesn’t attain to any of the current Emperor wishes. He couldn’t see the appeal, couldn’t feel the desire to obtain any of them.

Why have them, when none can or will bring the satisfaction one searched for?

Once again. Rank, fame and fortune.

What was it they even brought?

Perhaps the bustle and idolatry of one nation or many neighboring nations. They were supposed to bring dignity, honor, pride. But first hand, Li Bai has seen the person to whom he entrusted his life and dreams fall into misery, he has seen him transform with the ease of a bread dough, each time a little more deformed, each time a little more burned, until when removed from the oven there’s no trace of what it once was.

Mourning the loss of someone still alive, Li Bai poured himself another glass and drank.

If their leader had fallen into misery, then everyone would eventually fall, like a sinister game of dominoes.

_I would rather be an unrestrained immortal, raising my cup to invite the moon among the flowers and taking life easy_ , he thought.

Yes, if the fall was imminent then Li Bai wanted to fall like the petals of cherry blossoms, get up as if nothing had happened and then maybe he could live an easy life writing verses in ink that only he would read.

That day, he wanted to be ethereal, like the moon that dimly illuminated his stay at the Huaqing Hot Springs.

That day, Yang Guifei had escaped from the suffocating castle.

The one to whom she had sworn eternal love was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment, grief and finally anger took root in her heart like someone who had lost a loved one. She saw the face of her lover, heard his voice and felt his touch between her skin, but everything made her feel nervous, as if the man in front of her was a complete stranger.

After months of doubt, unanswered questions, and words that fell on deaf ears, heartbroken she decided to take time for herself. Her servants knew and supported her, they had dressed her in fragrant clothes and accessories, making her look more beautiful than she had ever been able to remember herself.

They dressed her as if from that night, she would not be coming back.

…Maybe they were right.

Strolling through the fancy pools, Yang Guifei raised her fair and soft hands and picked up a gorgeous peony to sniff the fragrance by the Huaqing Hot Spring.

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

A glance was all it took.

Mists rose from the pool, among which she seemed to be the fairy queen from Jade Mountain or the Goddess of Moon in Crystal Hall. Her creamy skin, her red lips, her great accessories, and her flying dress, made her a lady that you would never forget with only a glance.

Li Bai's heart raced like never before seeing her figure and time stopped mid gulp of liquor burning down his throat. Drinking heavily, a new inspiration appeared in his mind, made up of three-tenths heroism and seven-tenths romance.

With a familiar grace, he watched her walk away between the nearby trees with hurried steps and there was no hesitation in his chest.

Under the bright moonlight, Li Bai walked into the forest dashingly with a sweep of his sleeves.

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

"Excuse me, may I have some of your time?"

Turning around to address the voice behind her, Yang Guafei met a man with ebony long hair and robes in different shades of blue, gold decorations on some parts of it, and a surprised and flushed face while in one hand he held a jug of alcohol.

"Does the lady believe in love at first sight?"

A bittersweet look settled on Yang's face when she saw the renowned poet.

"I used to, but not anymore"

Approaching a little closer, Li Bai recognized the woman in front of him, one of the emperor's consorts. Discord settled in his heart as Bai hesitated between saying goodbye and turning around, or continuing to chat with who had stolen his breath. After noticing her hurt expression and realizing that it looked a lot like the one he saw in the mirror, nothing mattered anymore.

“It's a shame you don't anymore, but I understand the feeling. May I ask what a fairy like you is doing around here?"

Yang Guafei's face flushed slightly.

"I'm sorry to break your illusions, but I'm not a fairy"

"So a goddess? Your beauty surely surpasses that of any mortal "

Her aching heart almost made her sigh at the sweetness of his words.

"You're mistaken, then. A simple mortal is what I am"

"I feel obliged to tell you that in fact, you’re the one who’s wrong. It’s impossible for a mere mortal to capture my heart"

Li Bai smiled upon seeing the pout forming on Yang Guifei's face.

"Are you going to tell me that my words are a lie?"

"Are you going to ignore what I said about capturing my heart?"

For a few moments of silence, they simply looked at each other. Trying to understand what was going on in the other’s mind, with a hint of relief when noticing familiar feelings. Unspoken words filling the space between them in the face of the strange but sincere situation in which they had involved. There were many things at stake, and as if it were telepathy, they both opened their lips to speak at the same time.

A small giggle crept into their silence and Yang offered him to speak first.

“Right here, right now” Li Bai said, offering his hand as he looked at the moon and then to her eyes, the unsaid question fluttering in their minds “What are you going to do, dear fairy goddess?”

“Once again, I’m neither a fairy, nor a goddess”

She said, as she pondered in her head the advantages and disadvantages of the offer, wondering if it was worth it. Certainly, the Emperor would be furious. Yang Guifei looked into Li Bai’s shining black eyes one more time.

The answer was obvious, as she took his hand, a crimson blush spreading along her cheeks as he smiled.

With the moon illuminating the way, among mists and cherry blossoms petals as they walked the only way Li Bai and Yang Guifei had left.

Together, they would be ethereal.


End file.
